"Thus it is said that one who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be endangered in a hundred engagements."
Sun Tzu, The Art of War.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Texas Resident Convicted on Charge of Attempted Use of Weapon of Mass Destruction

Khalid
Aldawsari Purchased Bomb Materials and Researched U.S. Targets

AMARILLO, TX—Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 22,
a citizen of Saudi Arabia and resident of Lubbock, Texas, was convicted by a
federal jury today on an indictment charging one count of attempted use of a
weapon of mass destruction in connection with his purchase of chemicals and
equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his
research of potential U.S. targets, including persons and infrastructure.

The verdict, which was reached in the
Northern District of Texas, was announced by Sarah R. Saldaña, U.S. Attorney
for the Northern District of Texas; Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for
National Security; and Diego G. Rodriguez, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI
Dallas Field Division.

Sentencing has been scheduled for
October 9, 2012, in Amarillo. Aldawsari, who was lawfully admitted into the
United States in 2008 on a student visa and was enrolled at South Plains
College near Lubbock, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000
fine. He was arrested on February 23, 2011 on a criminal complaint and later
charged in a March 9, 2011 federal indictment with attempting to use a weapon
of mass destruction.

According to court documents and
evidence presented during trial, at the time of his arrest last year, Aldawsari
had been researching online how to construct an IED using several chemicals as
ingredients. He had also acquired or taken a substantial step toward acquiring
most of the ingredients and equipment necessary to construct an IED, and he had
conducted online research of several potential U.S. targets, the affidavit
alleges. In addition, he had allegedly described his desire for violent jihad
and martyrdom in blog postings and a personal journal.

“While many people are responsible for
thwarting Aldawsari’s threat and bringing him to justice, we owe a debt of
gratitude to all the members of the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, and
especially to the hundreds of hardworking and dedicated FBI agents, analysts,
linguists, and others,” said U.S. Attorney Saldaña. “Their efforts, coupled
with the hard work and excellent cooperation from the Lubbock Police Department
and the Texas Tech Police Department, are the reason we were able to stop this
defendant from carrying out a catastrophic act of terrorism.”

“As this trial demonstrated, Aldawsari
purchased ingredients to construct an explosive device and was actively
researching potential targets in the United States. Thanks to the efforts of
many agents, analysts, and prosecutors, this plot was thwarted before it could
advance further,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco. “This case serves as
another reminder of the need for continued vigilance both at home and abroad.”

“Today’s guilty verdict shows how
individuals in the United States with the intent to do harm can acquire the
knowledge and materials necessary to carry out an attack,” said SAC Rodriguez.
“Our success in locating and preventing Mr. Aldawsari from carrying out an
attack is a result of cooperation within the law enforcement and intelligence
communities, particularly, the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, the
Texas Tech Police Department, the Lubbock Police Department, and the Lubbock
County Sheriff’s Office, but also a demonstration of information sharing across
FBI divisions, as well as assistance from the community. I want to thank the
dedicated agents, officers, and analysts; the computer forensics team; and
linguists that worked diligently on this investigation, as well as prosecutors
serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District.”

The government presented evidence that
on February 1, 2011, a chemical supplier reported to the FBI a suspicious
attempted purchase of concentrated phenol by a man identifying himself as
Khalid Aldawsari. Phenol is a toxic chemical with legitimate uses, but it can
also be used to make the explosive trinitrophenol, also known as T.N.P., or
picric acid. Ingredients typically used with phenol to make picric acid, or
T.N.P., are concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids.

Aldawsari attempted to have the phenol
order shipped to a freight company so it could be held for him there, but the
freight company told Aldawsari that the order had been returned to the supplier
and called the police. Later, Aldawsari falsely told the supplier he was
associated with a university and wanted the phenol for “off-campus, personal
research.” Frustrated by questions being asked over his phenol order, Aldawsari
cancelled his order, placed an order with another company, and later e-mailed
himself instructions for producing phenol. In December 2010, he had
successfully purchased concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids.

Aldawsari used various e-mail accounts
in researching explosives and targets and often sent e-mails to himself as part
of this process. He e-mailed himself a recipe for picric acid, which was
described in the e-mail as a “military explosive” and also e-mailed himself
instructions on how to convert a cell phone into a remote detonator and how to
prepare a booby-trapped vehicle using household items. Aldawsari also purchased
many other items, including a Hazmat suit, a soldering iron kit, glass beakers
and flasks, a stun gun, clocks, and a battery tester.

Excerpts from a journal found at
Aldawsari’s residence indicated that he had been planning to commit a terrorist
attack in the United States for years. One entry describes how Aldawsari sought
and obtained a particular scholarship because it allowed him to come directly
to the United States and helped him financially, which he said “will help
tremendously in providing me with the support I need for Jihad.” The entry
continues, “And now, after mastering the English language, learning how to
build explosives and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, it is
time for Jihad.”

In another entry, Aldawsari wrote that
he was near to reaching his goal and near to getting weapons to use against
infidels and their helpers. He also listed a “synopsis of important steps” that
included obtaining a forged U.S. birth certificate; renting a car; using
different driver’s licenses for each car rented; putting bombs in cars and
taking them to different places during rush hour; and leaving the city for a
safe place.

Aldawsari conducted research on various
targets and e-mailed himself information on these locations and people. One of
the documents he sent himself, with the subject line listed as “Targets,”
contained the names and home addresses of three American citizens who had
previously served in the U.S. military and had been stationed for a time at Abu
Ghraib prison in Iraq. In others, Aldawsari sent himself the names of 12
reservoir dams in Colorado and California and listed two categories of targets:
hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants. He also sent himself an e-mail
titled “Tyrant’s House,” in which he listed the Dallas address for former
President George W. Bush. Aldawsari also conducted research that indicated he
considered using infant dolls to conceal explosives and the possible targeting
of a nightclub with an explosive concealed in a backpack.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s
Dallas Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Lubbock Police
Department and the Texas Tech Police Department. The prosecution is being
handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey R. Haag, Denise Williams, James T.
Jacks, and Matthew J. Kacsmaryk and Trial Attorney David Cora from the
Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security
Division.